Dorothy Richardson was a traveller and travel writer with a strong interest in history, antiquarianism, and landscape aesthetics. Born on 3 October 1748 in Thornton-in Craven, then in the West Riding of Yorkshire, Dorothy, the eldest of four children, was the daughter of Henry (1710-78) and Mary (née Dawson) (1717-1800). Her father was the Rector of Thornton and a gentleman farmer. Until her father’s death, Richardson lived with her family in the parsonage at Thornton; from 1778 she lived with her mother at nearby Gargrave. The Richardson family was well known in Yorkshire and for generations before Dorothy’s birth had been characterised by a tradition of literary and scientific accomplishment. The principal seat of the Yorkshire branch of the family was Bierley Hall near Bradford,…
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Citation: Kinsley, Zoë. "Dorothy Richardson". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 16 February 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5885, accessed 24 November 2024.]